Water White Paper

Debate between Josh Babarinde and Emma Reynolds

Wednesday 21st January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Emma Reynolds]

I am being kept regularly updated on the issue in Holland Park that my hon. Friend has raised. I understand that 2,000 households are off supply. That is unacceptable, and the regulator, DEFRA and I are working closely with the water company to ensure that we get on top of the issue.

[Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)]

Not only are the likes of South East Water and Southern Water failing Eastbourne, with yet another outage last week, but shipping companies are also damaging our water quality. Thousands of bags of oven chips have washed up on Eastbourne beach, and their decomposition will have a serious impact on marine wildlife and the local ecosystem. I know that Sussex MPs along the shore have experienced a similar thing, whether with onions, bananas or body lotion from the White Company. However, shipping companies are not mentioned at all in the White Paper. Will the Minister meet me and Sussex MPs with constituencies on the coastline to address this issue, to ensure that the shipping companies pay their fair share towards cleaning up our seas?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Josh Babarinde and Emma Reynolds

Thursday 13th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)]

T3.  Catastrophic failures at Southern Water’s water treatment works in Eastbourne have led to extensive sewage discharges, a stench stinking out our town, and, a matter of days ago, the accidental discharge of millions of plastic bio-beads into our sea. Will the Minister urgently meet me to discuss how we can force Southern Water to finally get a grip of its appalling failures at our water treatment works?

[Emma Reynolds]

Like the hon. Member, I am appalled by this plastic pollution incident, which affects his constituency, nearby constituencies and Camber Sands. We are holding Southern Water to account. There needs to be a thorough investigation of what happened, and as has been said by the Minister with responsibility for water and flooding, my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice (Emma Hardy) —she has been in touch with both the water company and the Environment Agency—the immediate priority is to address the damage caused, but we need to ask questions about why this was not uncovered earlier. The water Minister or I would be happy to meet him.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Josh Babarinde and Emma Reynolds

Monday 11th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Emma Reynolds]

As I said in answer to a previous question, we are looking at the form. Some 90% of applicants now apply online, but we note that the paper form is long and we are considering how we can simplify it.

[Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)]

Eastbourne veteran Pauline was awarded military compensation for injuries that she sustained in the service of our country, but she said that that has caused her pension credit entitlement to plummet from £70 to just £10.42 a week. Will the Minister meet me to discuss her case and ensure that no veteran is penalised for their service to our country?

[Emma Reynolds]

The hon. Member is the second person to raise that issue and I happy to meet them both.